Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for evaluating food preference of pets, a method for manufacturing an additive for pet foods, a method for evaluating a pet food, a method for improving a pet food, a method for manufacturing a pet food, a program for evaluating food preference of pets, a device for evaluating food preference of pets, a program for evaluating a pet food, and a device for evaluating a pet food, making use of sensory analysis by humans.
Background Art
With the increase in the number of pet owners who consider their pets as a member of their family and an extended pet life due to the advance in animal medical care technique, various pet foods have been manufactured and sold to cope with a variety of needs. Specific examples thereof include pet foods containing the most appropriate nutrients depending on dog breeds, cat breeds, pet age, or the like, and pet foods having a function against specific diseases, such as obesity and allergy. Pet foods must be eaten at an appropriate amount in order to exert their functions effectively. Palatability is therefore a relevant factor and various palatants are incorporated in pet foods.
A two-pan test is a general method for evaluating food preference of pets. According to the two-pan test, two types of pet food are given to pets and which is eaten first or which is eaten in a larger amount is evaluated. However, the obtainable information is only dogs' behaviors about “which is eaten first” or “which is eaten in a larger amount,” and thus is quite restricted.
Accordingly, it is currently required to perform a large number of tests that rely on experience and hunch of researchers in order to formulate a pet food meeting the preference of pets, which is not always an efficient operation.
B. Di Donfrancesco et al. (“AN INITIAL LEXICON FOR SENSORY PROPERTIES OF DRY DOG FOOD”, Journal of sensory studies, 27 (2012) pp. 498-510.) reports the classification of pet foods utilizing the technique for development of human foods. This document describes the technique for categorizing pet foods by performing a sensory analysis of a pet food by humans to score the intensity of appearance, flavor, texture, and/or aroma using sensory expression of humans and then subjecting the data thus obtained to principal component analysis.
B. Di Donfrancesco et al., however, deals only with the categorization of pet foods, and does not address predication or evaluation of food preference of pets, that is, what kind of pet foods is preferred by pets.
Although humans must eat a pet food for a sensory analysis of a pet food itself, eating a pet food is considered to give sometimes a feeling of rejection to humans and to suffer from safety problems.
Furthermore, even if there is no safety problem, it is not always possible to evaluate a pet food precisely because human sensory assessors are not usually involved in a sensory analysis of pet foods. For example, evaluation may vary among sensory assessors.
The present invention is achieved in consideration of the above problems and has an object to provide a method, a program, and a device for evaluating food preference of pets easily and highly precisely even without the need to taste a pet food itself by humans.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method, a program, and a device for evaluating pet foods; a method for manufacturing an additive for pet foods preferred by pets; a method for improving a pet food so as to be preferred by pets; and a method for manufacturing a pet food preferred by pets by making use of the results of a preference test in pets obtained by the above method.